


A Proposition for Peace

by Notaname



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, Hoshido | Birthright Route, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:15:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28272255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notaname/pseuds/Notaname
Summary: Corrin comes up with a last minute solution to bring peace between Hoshido and Nohr. Why not solve the problem of warring nations the old fashioned way?Aka Corrin proposes to Xander in chapter 26 of Birthright.
Relationships: Marx | Xander/My Unit | Kamui | Corrin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	A Proposition for Peace

**Author's Note:**

> I have always been under the impression that if Corrin could get Xander to enter the throne room and hear what Garon was spouting he would have helped them out. How to get him into that room though? Propose to him of course.

This was probably not how anyone had envisioned this happening, that is if anyone had even envisioned such a thing in the first place. When Corrin had first walked into the room she certainly hadn’t planned for things to go this way. Here she was though, standing boldly in front of her eldest brother as she desperately tried one last desperate ploy to hold her family together. 

“I am sorry, what?” That was Hinoka behind her, the first one to find their voice after Corrin’s bold proposition.

At her words Corrin felt her stance stiffen as she clenched her jaw, unwilling to tear her gaze from Xander’s surprised face. Somehow she knew that if she looked away first that she would lose this one last chance for a peaceful resolution. 

Behind her she heard armor clink as Ryoma shifted behind her, a curious sound coming from him. “Well, that is certainly an… interesting... “ He couldn’t even bring himself to finish the sentence. 

“Ah!” And that was Elise behind her, crying out excitedly as she ran out between them. “Say yes Xander!” The twin tailed youth let out a happy laugh as she grabbed Xander’s hand and tugged him forward. 

It was at that moment Corrin knew she had won as Xander was forced to break eye contact in order to not be completely bowled over by the tiny bundle of energy that was their youngest sister. Promising to thank Elise profusely later tonight Corrin relaxed the grip on the Yato and took a few steps towards the two of them. “Elise is right Xander, you should say yes.”

Glancing up from Elise, Xander stared at her intently, his brow furrowed in an all too familiar way. “Corrin, surely you cannot be serious.”

“I am completely serious Xander, we can solve this without anymore violence. You can defend Nohr and not have to fight. We can all be family again and work towards a brighter future together this time.” The more she spoke the more she was convinced herself. He didn’t say anything as he continued to stare at her, the crease between his brows growing deeper as he studied her. For anyone else his face would be a marble mask, unreadable and just as cold. Not to Corrin though, she had spent years watching him, seeing his pain and frustration as he swung his sword late into the night. She knew that he was just as frustrated with things in Nohr, she knew he longed to make things better, to make a real, lasting peace. “Marry me Xander.” She offered one more time, holding her hand out to him once more.

Ignoring the murmur of her Hoshidan siblings behind her Corrin put a smile on her face as she continued to watch Xander as he gently freed himself from Elise and approached her. It was clear they were worried about the crown prince’s approach but Corrin wasn’t, she knew Xander, she trusted him. 

Eyes the color of dried blood stared down at her, his gaze was just as stern as his voice as he finally spoke up.“Do you know what you are asking Corrin?” 

“I am asking you to marry me.” She did her best to keep her voice calm as she repeated herself.

The frown on Xander’s face only deepened at her words, his brow knit even further before he let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was Ryoma who spoke up though instead of Xander. “He is asking if you are prepared to handle the consequences of marrying him. What is expected of you if Prince Xander does agree to go down this path.” At a harsh look directed at him, Ryoma held his hands up as if to placate her— which only annoyed Corrin further. “I am not… against ending this with less bloodshed, even if I am not-” He paused here as he considered his next words carefully, “-- enthused about the methods of doing so. If this is what you want we will support you. I just, and the Crown Prince it seems, want you to know what it is exactly that you are asking.” 

At his words Corrin calmed down a little, hackles less raised at the honest concern in them and she seriously considered them. After stepping out from her tower Corrin had been made painfully aware of just how sheltered and naive she was to the rest of the world. There was just a lot that she didn’t know. Stories she had been so engrossed in as a child had been just that, stories, and learning the real world did not work like that had been painful at times. Still… Corrin looked over at her brother and found herself to be undeterred. She knew the basics, she had heard what was expected of a princess from Camilla, Hinoka, Sakura and Elise enough times to know some of the reality of the situation, of what would be asked of her. 

None of those things were off putting to her though as she thought about them. For her, Xander had always been the benchmark for which she compared other men to. Late at night after finishing the latest romance novel Felicia had let her borrow she had wondered what kind of man she might marry one day. She remembered thinking she would marry a man who was just as noble as Xander, as fearsome a warrior as him, as kind and gentle behind closed doors as he was with them, someone who worked as hard and with as much passion as he did, someone who always put the needs of others before their own like Xander did. Of course this imaginary person maybe-sorta-always happened to be just as handsome as her eldest brother— though if she was being particularly honest with herself a few times it might have just happened to be him. A sort of nervousness hit her as she realized that maybe she had been unconsciously pinning after her eldest brother for as long as she could remember. 

Realizing that they were all looking at her expectantly Corrin briefly tightened her grip on her sword, gathered her courage and took a step closer to Xander. She forced their gazes to meet as she looked up at him. “I know what I am asking Xander.” A smile pulled at her mouth as she did her best to assure him that she knew exactly what she was asking for. 

He studied her for a very long time, his body language tense and his gaze heavy. Behind them Corrin could hear the murmur of her other siblings speaking to each other but their words were indecipherable to her as lost in the tension of the moment as she was. The silence between them seemed to last forever, Corrin selfishly urging Xander to say yes, to agree to this and fulfill what was perhaps an almost life long desire of hers. It broke when the tense line of Xander’s shoulder slumped slightly and he let out a long sigh as his eyes slid shut in what seemed to be acceptance, his mind made up. 

“If this is what you wish for Corrin then who am I to deny the solution to a problem I never wish existed in the first place.” He looked around the room again, taking in everything he was seeing. “I have no true wish to fight you or Hoshido if there is a peaceful solution in front of us. If this keeps Nohr and my family safe together then I can make no objections to it.” None of them spoke of what Garon would think of the deal, all of them— except perhaps Elise— knowing what he would think of this solution. 

Still, it must have been enough to convince him, or perhaps he truly had no desire to fight with them when there was a solution in hand. Or, as Corrin would later suspect late at night as she lay curled up at his side, that perhaps he had one small bit of faith left in his Father after all these years. That perhaps if he provided one last time for him to go back to the king that he had grown up admiring then things would be ok. 

For Corrin though it didn’t really matter, whatever the reason why he had decided to accept her proposal she was grateful. The hole she had felt at her side ever since she had started this journey was filled now. It had hurt to be separated from her adopted family, to fight against them for what she believed to be right. Now though… with Xander at her side, Elise laughing in delight as the fighting between her siblings was finally over. 

Reaching out Corrin took Xander’s own gauntleted hand in her own the sheer size of it was made more apparent as she laced their fingers together. With his hand in her own, Corrin could practically feel the mans nerves as he looked down at her sharply before his gaze slid down to their tangled fingers. This close to him the manakete could feel the sudden tension of muscles before they slowly relaxed, little by little. “Thank you Xander.” She offered, her voice low she smiled up at him. “There isn’t anyone I would rather have by my side than you as we work towards a peaceful future.

:::

In the end Garon rejected their compromise. It was no surprise to really anyone there as he declared his intentions. His words were harsh as his disdain for Hoshido, Nohr and most painfully of all his own family was laid out. There was nothing left of the man that Xander had grown up admiring, who had shaped him into the man he ended up being. The Crown Prince had listened in pained silence to his words, eyes shut as he took them all in. It was clear he was not terribly surprised by them but the pain of hearing them was clear to all. He stood there strong with the Hoshidan royal family as they fought through it all, combining the might of the Nohrian Royal family with that of Hoshido’s as if it had always been meant to work together. Three of Yato’s gems burned brightly by the time the battle was over; Siegfried having lended its aid to their cause as Corrin landed the final blow.

**Author's Note:**

> As if I could forget Xander, my one true king.
> 
> I am sure there are plenty of mistakes here. Feel free to point them out to me so I can fix them. I am just happy to be writing for Fates again, still my favorite FE game to date. 
> 
> If you have any suggestions on what you want to see written feel free to drop me a line sometime with your idea, I love filling prompts.


End file.
